


Trepidation

by CaitlinRose94



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, F/M, Wayhaught - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-23
Updated: 2016-11-30
Packaged: 2018-07-16 20:39:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7283914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaitlinRose94/pseuds/CaitlinRose94
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wynonna is the star player on an all women's football team.</p><p>Waverly is the clueless freshman who's just trying to get by in a new environment.</p><p>Everyone's in college, and fumbling their way through a complicated love life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Wynonna slams the door of her pick up truck, causing the window to shake. It’s probably about to fall out soon. She pushes her way past the group of freshmen collecting in the car park.

‘Move it, losers.’ She’s digging her way through the bewildered group of students when she feels a hand close around her arm. Her muscle memory kicks in and she shoulder barges them to the ground.

‘Jesus, Wy!’ Waverly looks up at her, rubbing her wrist. ‘This is the car park, not a football field.’

‘Hey little sis. I couldn’t see you in all this cattle.’ She lifts her up and brushes the gravel from her back. ‘Having fun?’

‘I know you’re being sarcastic but yes, I am.’ Waverly shuffles several coloured leaflets in her hands. ‘I’ve already been invited to a few parties.’

Wynonna shakes her head. Why does her baby sister have to be so naive? 

‘Those parties are full of horny guys looking to hook up with drunk girls.’

‘So you’re saying I shouldn’t go?’

‘No, I’m saying I’m going to be there and I don’t want you cramping my style.’

Waverly rolls her eyes and hoists her embarrassing pink backpack higher up her shoulder. ‘Whatever. Show me to my first class?’

‘No can do sis. I’ve got a meeting with Dean Nedley,’ she checks her watch, ‘six minutes ago.’

‘Not this again,’ Waverly groans. ‘Can’t you just let it go?’

Wynonna walks past her and looks over her shoulder, ‘I’ll let it go when you dump that ugly backpack.’

‘No can do sis,’ she mocks, ‘I’m going to be buried with this.’ Another freshman bumps in to her and sends her leaflets sprawling.

Wynonna snorts, ‘Sooner than you think.’

 

If you didn’t know Nedley was the Dean, you’d assume this was the receptionist’s office. The walls are drab and the paint is beginning to peel, and the carpet looks like it’s been here since the school was built - not to mention that there are _no_ pictures on the walls. Then again she’s never heard anything about him having a family.

It’s hard to determine if the seat she’s sitting on is patterned or stained. Every time Wynonna is in this office she wants to cover herself in antiseptic hand gel.

‘Earp.’

She doesn’t have to turn to know who’s talking. Somehow Nedley always manages to sound disappointed when he says her name.

‘You’re late,’ he continues.

‘But earlier than you.’ She plasters on her best shit-eating grin. 

Nedley slumps in to his chair and sighs. ‘Why do I feel like we’ve been here before?’

Wynonna leans forward and her chair creaks beneath her weight. ‘Come on Nedley,’ he raises an eyebrow, _‘Dean Nedley_ , you gotta hear me out this time.’

‘Wynonna,’ his voice lets her know that she’s about to be pitied, ‘I know you’re still mourning, and I really wish I could help you out, but it’s just not that simple.’

She fights back against the hollow feeling in her stomach. ‘That’s not what this is about.’

Nedley sighs, and the hollow feeling starts to bubble over in to anger, but she can’t let it show on her face. She knows this is her last shot.

‘Look, I understand your concerns, obviously with what happened to –’ she can’t bring herself to say her name ‘– with what happened in the past there’s a black mark against us. But what if I could guarantee you a championship?’

He leans back in his chair and surveys her carefully. He’s on the hook.

‘Say we make it to the finals, and _win_ the finals, surely that’s gotta be enough incentive to keep the program going? Show the board that it’s worth it for the school – a redemption.’

He strokes his chin and she has to clench her fists to stop herself from saying something rude. After a moment, he speaks, ‘How exactly do you plan to guarantee this?’

Wynonna leans back and stretches. ‘Look at my record, you know I can do it.’

Nedley shakes his head. ‘That’s not exactly something I can present to my bosses. I need more than that.’

‘Like what?’

He taps his pudgy fingers against the desk and leaves fingerprints in the thin layer of dust covering it.

‘You need to graduate this year.’

She sits up. ‘Are you kidding me?’

‘I’m dead serious, Earp. If you tell me you can graduate this year, you can have your team back.’

‘Yeah, that’s not gonna happen. If anyone’s gonna break the Earp curse, it’s Waverly. Let’s be real here Dean, we all know I’m dropping out at some point.’

‘The Earp curse isn’t real.’

But it is. The Earp family is old, _real_ old, and since Purgatory State College opened in 1821, not a single member has managed to graduate from it. The only reason she’s attending is to get Gus off her back, but she’s overstayed her welcome by a year, and failed more classes than she’s passed. If Gus and Nedley didn’t go way back, she would have been out after her first semester. She should be thankful, but she’s trying to not let anything permeate her bitter exterior.

‘Earp.’ He snaps his fingers and then sighs. ‘I’m telling you, this is the only way it’s happening.’

Wynonna bites her lip. ‘So if I promise to graduate this year, the women’s team can play co-ed matches?’

Nedley folds his arms, ‘That’s correct.’

‘And can I get that on paper, or?’

He laughs. ‘We’re not done negotiating yet. Your word doesn’t mean anything when it comes to grades. I need above C averages from you, or the program gets cut.’

She runs her tongue over her teeth and shakes her head. That just doesn’t seem like something she can swing, but she knows this is her last shot.

‘Let me think about it.’

‘That’s not all.’

Wynonna throws her head back and groans. ‘What else could you possibly want from me?’

‘This isn’t about you.’ She’s losing interest. ‘This is about all of the women’s teams. Co-ed was banned across the board, so if at least one other team doesn’t make it to the championships, everything gets scrapped.’

‘How am I supposed to control that?’

‘You’re not, I’m just telling you the terms of the agreement.’ He reaches over the desk. ‘Do we have a deal?’

Wynonna regards his hand and she doesn’t want to shake it for more reasons than one. ‘Give me until the end of the day.’

‘Alright, but don’t keep me waiting.’ She kicks the chair back and heads for the door. ‘I’m serious, Earp. Straight C’s!’

‘Yeah, yeah,’ she waves a hand behind her head and leaves.

/

Waverly’s been back and forth across the campus twice now and she still can’t find the correct classroom. Her first lecture of the year and she’s going to miss it. Even though it’s just an elective, she really doesn’t want to fall behind.

‘Can I help you out?’ 

Waverly looks up from her campus map to see a blonde guy covered in tattoos. He looks like the kind of person that would have been voted Prom King in high school.

‘I seem to be a little bit completely lost,’ she laughs.

He grins at her, and it’s kind of charming. ‘What are you looking for?’

‘A113. I swear I’ve been everywhere and I can’t find it.’

He rests a hand against her back and points, ‘It’s the big one, right there.’

She follows his hand and sees a sign that says _Law._

‘Oh,’ Waverly blushes, ‘I was looking for a big A.’

‘Hey we’re having a party in my dorm tonight,’ he says as he hands her a flier. ‘Come see me if you’re looking for a big D.’

The grin slides from Waverly’s face. ‘Okay, thanks.’ She pulls away from him and heads towards the building.

‘See you at the party tonight?’

‘Yeah, right,’ she mutters.

 

Waverly approaches the classroom door and pauses to peek through it. It looks like the class has already started; everybody has their books out. Great.

The door creaks loudly as she pushes it open, and there’s a collective rustle as everyone looks up at her. The room is dead silent until the sound of boots clicking against the floor echo through the air.

‘Miss Earp, is it?’ The lecturer looks like he’s just fallen out of an old Western film from the twenties. Blue eyes peer at her from beneath a black wide brimmed hat and she’s sure he can see her pulse trying to break out of her skin.

‘Yep, that’s me!’ She can hear how shrill she’s being but she can’t stop it, ‘Waverly Earp, sorry I’m late.’ 

‘Sixteen minutes late.’

Her throat is so dry it hurts to swallow, and she can feel every eye on her. ‘I was lost.’

‘Well, Miss Waverly Earp, may I suggest you keep a map by your side on all future endeavours, lest you arrive late to another class and lose more than your bearings.’ He gestures for her to take a seat and she gratefully does so. That was mortifying.

There’s only two things written on the board, _Intro To Criminal Law_ and _Professor Henry Holliday._

The professor makes his way back to the board and turns his attention on her. ‘For the sake of our late attendee, I will re-introduce myself.’ He taps to the name on the board, ‘I am Professor Holliday, but fall into my good graces, and you will come to know me by Doc. There are three simple guidelines to be followed if you wish to prosper under my teachings, and they are as follows; speak when spoken to, complete the work that is assigned to you, and most importantly of all do not question my authority.’

Waverly copies everything down in dot form, making sure to write _Doc Holliday_ at the top. After all, she’s always been well liked by teachers, and there’s no way she won’t become his favourite student.

Doc leans back in his chair – an old and worn brown leather Bassett that looks like he’d brought it from home – and surveys them. ‘Let’s start off with something simple, shall we?’ He puts his boots up on his desk. ‘Who can tell me the difference between a tort and a crime?’

Waverly’s hand shoots in to the air. If this is what all the classes are like, this is going to be a breeze. Doc nods in her direction, but before she can speak, someone behind her answers.

‘Essentially, a tort is a wrongful act against an individual, like a breach of contract, and a crime is the violation of a statute.’

Doc raises an eyebrow and nods. ‘Very concise, Miss?’

‘Haught.’

Waverly turns around to see the person who stole her answer; a redheaded girl smiles back at her.

‘Miss Haught is the one to beat folks.’

Waverly hunches over her textbook and begins highlighting. Looks like she’s just met her competition for the semester.

/

Wynonna sits cross-legged on the cold polished floor of the hallway. She’s missing her Human Rights and Violations class right now, but she doesn’t care. An enormous trophy case is adjacent to her and she’s staring at it. Right at the end, and a little dusty, is an award that reads _Willa Earp._ Wynonna rises and moves towards it, running her fingertips over the glass case. 

It’s been five years since Willa passed, but the pain is like a fresh wound that splits and bleeds every time she sees her name. The only reason she attended this college was to carry on her memory – to achieve a dream that Willa couldn’t fight for anymore. 

Willa had been the apple of their daddy’s eye. She was a star athlete, a top student, and a ray of sunshine in everybody’s life. When she was a student here she was determined to create a women’s football team, and she did: The Purgatory Peacemakers. It was revolutionary for a little country town like theirs, and she was a legend. It was when she pushed for co-ed matches that everything went wrong. It was their third match of the season, and they were up against the Ghost River Revenants. All it took was a hard enough blow to the head to cause Willa’s brain to swell and bleed. Then it was goodbye co-ed games. Goodbye college. Goodbye Willa. Their family fell apart, and her and Waverly only recently fell back together. Now she’s here, trying to carry on Willa’s legacy. Wynonna is a poor substitute, but she’s trying nonetheless.

She hears the scuffle of shoes and looks up to see a student entering the hallway. Upon making eye contact, they quickly turn and leave. This is something she’s used to. Everybody avoids the sister of a dead girl, that way nobody has to feel awkward and talk about it. She really hopes things will be easier for Waverly.

‘Earp, what are you doing out of class?’

Her coach, Dolls, makes his way over to her. He’s just asking to give her the opportunity to lie – they both know what she’s doing here. She’s sure the edges of her eyes are red and there’s no way he’d miss that.

‘Oh, you know, solemnly mourning the loss of my dead sister.’

He doesn’t falter. ‘Sure you didn’t mean drunkenly?’

Her hand rests against the bulge of her jean pocket. It’s the only thing her father ever gave her, his flask. ‘How’d you know?’

‘I always know.’ 

She raises the flask in a salute and downs the last of it.

‘You know we got a game tonight, right?’

Wynonna stuffs the flask back in to her pocket. ‘I know. I’m day drunk, not real drunk. I’ll be fine.’

Dolls glances over his shoulder. ‘How about I give you a ride home?’

‘You’re not gonna tell me to go to class?’

‘I think I know better than to tell you to do anything.’

She smiles, just a little, and tears herself away from her personal shrine. If only she had any other memento of Willa’s so she could mourn privately.

Dolls places a reassuring arm around her and leads the way. He’s only a couple of years older than her, and it makes it harder for him to push her around, which she likes. He’s not exactly a friend, but there’s a sense of familiarity between them that makes him easy to talk to.

It’s embarrassing, but sometimes she feels like he’s the only person she can talk to.

‘Can we swing by Shorty’s on the way home?’ She asks as she climbs in to the passenger side of her own car.

Dolls laughs, ‘Not today, Wynonna. Just sleep it off and make sure you’re ready to kick some ass tonight.’

She pulls the door shut. ‘I always am.’

 

Four hours later Wynonna is peeling herself out of bed. She can hear music coming from the kitchen – Waverly must be home. She tugs a baggy t-shirt over her head and trudges out of her room. Waverly is flipping eggs and humming.

‘Good afternoon, sleepy head. Eggs?’

‘No thanks.’ Wynonna slumps in to a dining chair. Waverly slips two eggs on to the plate in front of her. There’s no point in arguing, so she picks up the cutlery laid out on the table and has a mouthful. ‘How was your first day?’

‘It was great!’ She cracks another two eggs in to the frypan. ‘I really enjoyed my classes.’

‘Is that fresh coffee?’ Wynonna rises from her chair to pour herself some. ‘What are you studying again?’

‘Ancient History, come on Wy, I’ve only told you like a million times.’

‘Right, right.’ She takes a sip from her mug. ‘And that’s interesting for you?’

Waverly tilts her head and glares before taking the opposite seat. ‘Some of us are interested in things other than football.’

‘Like who’s head some jerk-off decided to cut off a million years ago.’

‘Yeah, cause that’s what Ancient History is.’

‘Thought so.’ She takes another mouthful and grins. Waverly should know she’s messing around, but just in case she doesn't she decides to be sincere for a moment. ‘For real though, what did you take today?’

‘Well, my first lecture of the day was Intro to Criminal Law, and it was a _disaster_.’

‘What’s Criminal Law got to do with Ancient History?’

‘It’s an elective.’

‘Whatever that means.’

Waverly pauses with the fork halfway to her mouth. ‘Haven’t you been enrolled in college for like four years now?’

‘Enrolled but not attending. Anyway, what’s your definition of a _disaster_? Did you get your first A minus or something?’

‘Ha ha, very funny. I was completely humiliated in front of the class.’

Wynonna slams her fork down. ‘By who?’

‘The teacher!’

‘What’d he say to you?’

‘He said I was late.’

Wynonna leans back in her chair, ‘And?’

‘And that’s it.’

 _‘That’s_ your definition of a disaster?’

Waverly blushes, ‘It was very embarrassing! And that’s not all; he kept calling on another girl the whole lesson. She knew every answer, it was so obvious she was trying to out-do me. She’s my nemesis, Wynonna.’

‘And you’re sure this wasn’t you viewing yourself from an astral plain?’ Wynonna finishes the last of her food and dumps her plate in the sink. ‘Sounds to me like you’re overreacting, how bad can this girl really be?’

/

Nicole Haught has never been a quitter, and she’s certainly not starting now, despite whatever plan the universe seems to have for her today.

‘Come on, Haught. We’ll pick it up again tomorrow, don’t you wanna get ready for the big game?’ A blonde girl asks.

Nicole reloads her bow. ‘I’ll catch up with you.’

The girl shakes her head and leaves her standing around alone. She’s beginning to lose the sunlight, but is determined to make this shot before she goes back to her dorm.

She pulls the arrow back until she’s satisfied that it feels taut enough, and steadies her breath. The breeze is tossing her hair to the left, so she readjusts. After holding it for seven seconds, she releases. The arrow soars ahead of her and crashes in to the target – slightly to the right of centre.

‘God dammit!’ She drops her bow and folds her arms. What’s up with her today? Why is she so off?

She draws another arrow from her pack and sighs. She’ll never retain her captaincy if she keeps stuffing up like this. She racks her brain to figure out what’s screwing with her mojo. 

She’d woken up and had a balanced meal, like always, and reviewed her classes for the day, made her bed, packed her bag, arrived to class on time, and… and then there was that girl. That insufferable girl who kept side eyeing her every time she answered a question. What was her deal, anyway?

Nicole lines up another shot, takes it, and misses – this time by even more distance.

Ugh! It’s gotta be that girl’s fault. She’s thrown off her whole day. With her stupid screwed up face, and childish backpack, and soft brown eyes that looked like flecked gold in the sunlight. Insufferable. And why is her hair so long? It practically fluttered everywhere any time a slight breeze came in through the window.

Nicole lines up again. Shoots. Misses the target entirely.

What kind of name is _Waverly_ , anyway? She guesses it’s a pretty name, but too peculiar. She’s never met a Waverly in her life.

She picks up another arrow, but lets it fall to her side. Come to think of it, she’d participated much more than usual today. By no means is she a bad student; she’s just usually more focused on taking notes than answering questions. Not like Waverly. It seemed like proving that you know what you’re talking about is really important to her.

Is that what _she_ was doing? Proving that she was intelligent? Trying to impress a girl she’d known for all of ten seconds?

‘Huh,’ she says aloud as she lines up another shot. Looks like she’s just met her crush for the semester.

She releases the arrow, and it collides dead centre with the target. 

 

Nicole does the final touches to her face paint and then stands back to admire it in the mirror. It’s not like she’s a football fan, I mean come on, it requires _no_ lateral thinking, but considering she herself has just been made captain of the women’s archery team she figures it’s important to show her support.

It’s just an added bonus that Wynonna Earp’s younger sister will probably be there cheering her on.

‘How long are you gonna spend fussing in front of that mirror?’ Her housemate slips a jersey on over her shirt. ‘Who are you trying to impress anyway?’

Nicole grins.

‘Oh god, the dimples. It’s a girl, isn’t it?’

‘What can I say?’

‘You can admit that you’re a little hoe.’

Nicole whips a pillow at her. ‘All right, I’m done. Let’s head up.’

/

The locker room absolutely _stinks_. Unfortunately the college hasn’t sprung for separate ones, so Wynonna’s trying not to choke on the stench of sweaty man-smell.

‘Those aren’t on right,’ Dolls says as he adjusts her shoulder pads.

‘Thanks but I can fix them my damn self.’ She pulls away from him and his hands stay in the air like he doesn’t know what to do with them.

‘Hey Earp, if you’ve got aggression that’s good, just save it for the field and leave me out of it.’ He turns to leave but she grabs his bicep to stop him.

She watches his eyes drift over her hand and she gets that tingly feeling she’s been trying to avoid. She snatches her hand away.

‘Look, I’m sorry, okay? I’m just under a lot of pressure.’

‘From anyone other than yourself?’ He takes a seat next to her on the bench and swings a towel over his shoulder.

‘From Nedley. I know he’s gonna be up there watching. I’m trying to convince him to –’

‘Let me guess,’ he interrupts, ‘to allow co-ed matches again?’

Wynonna hangs her head. Why does this seem like a hopeless cause to anyone but her?

‘Wynonna,’ he takes her hand and she wills her palms to stay dry, ‘is it really worth the risk?’

She looks in to his eyes. ‘Yeah Dolls, it is. If this doesn’t become a reality, then what did she even die for?’

He seems to understand that because he squeezes her hand. ‘Then you know what to do.’

She looks at him and nods, ‘Kick some ass.’

He slaps her on the back and walks over to the other girls, and she hopes to god that she can pull this off.

/

Nicole decides to sit right at the top of the stands to ensure she has a full view of the game (and the crowd, just in case a certain tiny brunette makes an appearance). 

‘Not very subtle, Haught,’ her housemate says.

‘Shut it, Mallory.’ 

Mallory raises her hands in a sign of defeat and takes a seat.

She watches Wynonna Earp throw a pass that soars halfway across the field. The crowd stands and roars with appreciation, which isn’t making it any easier to spot Waverly.

‘How do you know this mystery girl is even here?’ Mallory asks, taking a sip from her beer.

‘That’s her sister,’ she says as Wynonna intercepts a pass.

Mallory chokes on her drink. ‘Are you kidding me? You’re lusting after an _Earp?_ ’

‘Why are you saying that like it’s a bad thing? Have you seen Wynonna’s ass? It’s top-shelf.’

‘I’m not talking about their asses, I’m talking about their _family_. The Earps have a sordid history.’

‘How would you know?’

Mallory laughs. ‘Everybody knows! You’re at a disadvantage cause you’re new in town, but that’s why you’ve got me.’ She finishes her beer. ‘Their great, great, great grandfather or whatever was one of the founders of this school, and rumour has it he was a _very_ peculiar man. I’m talking Ouija boards and animal sacrifice.’ She leans in. ‘Apparently, his ghost still haunts the dining hall at night.’

Nicole snorts so hard she practically inhales her drink. ‘Tell me you don’t believe that.’

Mallory shrugs. ‘All I know is, you don’t wanna get tangled up in it.’

Nicole thinks about Waverly’s handwriting. How she writes in the kind of cursive you see in old movies. ‘I think I’ll risk it.’

The crowd roars again as Wynonna makes a touchdown. Nicole claps along, searching amongst the crowd for the face that belongs to Waverly Earp.

/

Waverly is speeding, and she knows it, but just about every member of the town is at the game right now so it doesn’t matter. She had to leave before the end to make her shift at Shorty’s, but considering the score when she left, she’s pretty confident that the Peacemakers will win it.

It’s freezing, and she really wishes she didn’t have to wear this stupid uniform. A crop tee that barely covers her chest is just a bad idea for an autumn evening. She’s ten minutes late, but hopefully Shorty won’t mind. She is his best barmaid after all.

Turns out he does mind though, cause five minutes after walking in she’s polishing an entire fridge worth of glasses. Tough love is overrated. 

There are only three people in the bar at the moment, and two of them are just playing darts and not even drinking. This is going to be a fun five-hour shift.

After about half an hour of mind-numbing and repetitive polishing, Waverly can hear the celebratory sounds of the townsfolk driving back in. Safe to say Purgatory won.

It only takes a few minutes for the patrons to start pouring in, and after a solid twenty-minute rush, she’s polishing again.

She almost shatters the glass in her hand when she sees a head of bright orange hair through it.

 _Please don’t be her. Please don’t be her. Please don’t be –_

‘Well, if it isn’t the freshman from Criminal Law.’

Waverly lowers the glass and plasters on the fakest smile she can manage. ‘Well hi there, what can I get you Miss Haught?’

She grins. ‘It’s Nicole. And a round of beers for me and my friends, please.’ She gestures to a table of three girls in the corner. ‘I lost a bet.’

‘On what?’

‘Nothing that matters now.’

Waverly pours a jug and takes the cash from Nicole’s hand. Her fingers brush against her skin and she recoils. ‘You’re freezing.’

‘It was cold at the game.’

‘You went?’

‘How could you tell?’ Nicole asks, gesturing to the half wiped-off paint on her face.

If she’s going to be condescending she can leave right now. ‘Here’s your change.’ Waverly drops the coins in to Nicole’s open palm and immediately walks to the garbage can to take the trash out. 

‘Need a hand?’ Nicole asks.

‘No thank you I’m quite capable on my own.’

‘I’ll bet you are.’

Waverly turns her back to her and glares. It’s just not necessary to be so sarcastic and rude.

She walks outside and throws the trash in to the dumpster, taking a moment to breathe in the cold air and gather herself. All she has to do is smile her way through the evening.

By the time she comes back inside, Shorty is making two cocktails for a pair of cheerleaders from tonight’s game. ‘Enjoy your break?’ He asks as he gives them their change.

Waverly looks down at her feet. ‘Sorry, I just needed a moment.’

Shorty shakes his head and smiles. ‘You know I just love to give you a hard time, don’t worry about it.’

By the time he’s disappeared in to his office, Nicole is standing in front of her holding an empty jug.

‘Another round already?’

‘What can I say,’ Nicole leans against the bar, ‘I’m thirsty.’

‘Right.’ Waverly fills the jug and tries to avoid making eye contact.

‘So,’ Nicole says, ‘what are you doing working in a place like this?’

She finishes filling the jug and closes off the tap. ‘Gotta pay for college somehow, we don’t all have rich daddies paving our way.’

Nicole laughs. ‘Tell me about it. If I don’t keep up a good enough average I’ll lose my scholarship. Got an application form I can fill out?’

Despite herself, she’s intrigued. ‘What kind of scholarship?’

‘Sports.’

She rolls her eyes. ‘I take it you were playing tonight?’

‘Oh no, god no.’ Nicole hands her another note. ‘Are you kidding me? For archery.’

Waverly processes the transaction without taking her eyes off of her. ‘Really?’

‘Oh yeah, I’m captain and everything. Apparently I’m a shoe-in for the Olympics.’

‘That’s very impressive.’

Nicole takes her change and grins. ‘You think so, huh?’

Maybe it’s the atmosphere, or the lighting, but Nicole looks kind of… pretty right now. Or maybe it’s the dimples.

‘So,’ Nicole continues, ‘can I expect to see you in class tomorrow?’

‘I wouldn’t miss it.’

‘In that case, I won’t either.’

Waverly shifts uncomfortably. The AC must be too high cause she’s feeling a bit too warm.

One of Nicole’s friends calls out to her, but she waves them off.

‘Why don’t you come have a drink with me?’

A man at the bar tries to get Waverly’s attention, but she ignores him.

‘I can’t, I don’t finish for another couple of hours.’

‘Excuse me,’ the man says, ‘can I get a beer over here?’

Nicole leans a little closer. ‘That there is a real shame. How about a coffee tomorrow, after class?’

Waverly swallows. She's feeling nervous, and there's something about Nicole that makes her throat go dry.

‘Hey, sweet tits, give me a god damn beer!’

Before Waverly can even respond, Nicole swoops over in two long strides and slams his head against the bar. Waverly squeals.

‘Apologise,’ Nicole says calmly, as if she didn’t just pin a man down that’s twice her size.

‘Nicole, this really isn’t necessary –’ Waverly begins, but Nicole cuts her off.

_‘Apologise.’_

The guy manages to choke out an _I’m sorry_ and Nicole releases him, causing him to fall from his stool and on to the floor. He practically falls over himself in his haste to get out of the bar.

Nicole takes a sip out of the jug of beer she just ordered. ‘So, about that coffee?’

/

Wynonna steps in to the shower and watches the dirt and grass trickle down the drain. It mixes in with a little blood, and she realises she’s got a cut on the back of her calf. Rough game.

They won by six touchdowns, which she knows will be enough to keep Nedley satisfied. By the time she gets out of the shower it’s just before midnight.

She considers whether it might be too late to call for all of three seconds before deciding she doesn’t care.

The line rings once. Twice. Three times.

A click.

‘Hello?’ Nedley sounds like half of his face is pressed against a pillow.

‘I’m in, you’ve got a deal.’

‘Earp,’ he sighs, ‘it’s midnight.’

‘You said I had until the end of the day.’

‘No, _you_ said that.’

‘Oh. Well, regardless, it’s the end of the day and you’ve got your answer.’

‘I’m ecstatic,’ he groans, ‘see you at graduation.’

The line goes dead. Wynonna throws herself on to her bed and tucks her arms behind her head.

Wynonna Earp: College Graduate. This ought to be interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case it wasn't apparent, I don't know jack shit about American football or university. So just suspend reality and let me live.


	2. Chapter 2

It’s been just over a week since she’d vowed to pick up her grades, but Wynonna Earp is dangerously close to dozing off in her first class of the day. She’s not even entirely sure what Civil Procedure _is_ , but she knows she has to pass it to graduate with some kind of degree. At this stage, she’s not even aware of what she’s majoring in. All she knows is that this incessant lecture is putting her to sleep.

How does Nedley expect her to graduate if it means absorbing anything this awful cow has to say? She’s had exactly two lessons with Professor Stone so far and all she’s learnt is that she went through a nasty divorce with her ex husband (whom she refers to only as _Mr Clootie_ ) and that she won’t consume anything that isn’t reduced salt.

Wynonna’s staring at the ceiling and fantasising about burying her in a field of salt when she’s called upon.

‘Miss Earp?’ The pencil she was balancing on her nose rolls off and onto the floor. She peers down and notices that everyone, including Professor Stone, is staring at her. ‘Miss Earp, the answer please?’

She slowly leans forward in her chair, looking around desperately for anything that might clue her into what they’ve been talking about. ‘Uh, yes?’

A low murmur of laughter scatters across the room. ‘Try again, Miss Earp.’ Professor Stone walks out from behind her desk, her ridiculous heels clicking and echoing through the room.

Wynonna stares down at her notebook, but there’s nothing except a crude drawing of her teacher with the nickname _Stone Witch_ beside it.

‘You have ten seconds my dear before I make a note in your file and take it to the Dean.’

Shit. It hadn’t even occurred to her that Nedley’s got the lecturers keeping an eye on her. Shit shit shit.

‘Hey.’ 

It’s barely a whisper, but Wynonna turns her attention to the girl beside her. She taps at the edge of her notebook where _injunction_ is scrawled in tiny handwriting.

‘Injunction,’ she calls out quickly. Professor Stone purses her lips and then strides away to harass some other student. Wynonna leans back in her chair and exhales, ‘Thanks for the save.’

‘No problem.’ 

The girl continues scribbling notes down. Wynonna watches her hand race back and forth across the page. ‘How can you take in anything this chick has to say?’ She retrieves her pencil from the floor and tucks it behind her ear. ‘I am literally falling asleep.’

‘I noticed.’ She finishes her paragraph before placing her pen down. ‘If you concentrate hard enough, you can decipher a few useful morsels amidst the bullshit. And reading the textbook helps.’

Wynonna snorts, ‘You actually read that thing? It’s thick enough to knock Professor Stone out with.’

She picks her pen back up and continues writing. ‘I’ve got an average to maintain.’

Wynonna frowns. So does she, but she doesn’t think she can will herself to read a book heavy enough to tie around Stone’s ankle and drown her at sea. ‘I’m Wynonna, by the way.’

‘I know,’ she says without taking her eyes off her notebook, ‘I’ve seen you around.’

‘Why haven’t I seen you?’

‘It’s hard to see much of anything when you’re asleep.’ Hm, she must be dozing off in more classes than she remembers. ‘I’m Nicole.’

Wynonna blows out air between her teeth and settles back into her chair. Who needs to pay attention when she’s got this chick beside her? She makes a mental note to feign a friendship so she can keep mooching off her. ‘You into all this crime stuff then?’

‘Been playing cops and robbers since I was five.’

‘Me too,’ Wynonna smirks, ‘but we would have been on opposite sides.’

‘Aren’t you into it? I mean, you’re in this class.’

Wynonna digs out dirt from beneath her fingernails. ‘I study what Nedley tells me to, and I’ll major in whatever gets me one of those ugly graduation caps.’

‘And what would that be?’

‘You know,’ Wynonna purses her lips and shakes her head, ‘I’m not actually sure. How about you, egghead, what’re you in for?’

‘Law. I’m in on a scholarship for archery.’

Wynonna’s interest is peaked. ‘No shit?’ She closes her notebook and turns to face her. ‘That could have been me if I gave a shit in high school - or after high school. But not for a hobby like archery, I coulda got one for football.’

For the first time throughout this conversation, Nicole completely abandons her work. ‘You think archery is my hobby?’

Wynonna throws her hands up, palms out. ‘Hey no offence, I dig it, I bet it’s a whole lotta fun shooting little arrows like Katpiss from that dumb book -’

‘Katniss,’ she interjects.

‘Right, anyway, all I mean is that football is my future – y’know, a sport that becomes a career.’ She pulls a lollipop from her pencil case, unwraps it, and pops it into her mouth. Nicole watches her with her lips pressed together. 

‘Archery is an Olympic event, you know.’

Wynonna winks at her. ‘So is synchronised swimming sweetheart,’ she rolls the lollipop across her back teeth with her tongue, ‘I’d watch the Superbowl over that any day. And don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying archery sucks – I mean, it’s not very action packed, but there’s always the off-chance you’ll accidentally shoot someone with an arrow. You ever done that?’

Nicole narrows her eyes, ‘Not yet.’

‘My point is, I remember doing archery when I was like ten years old. Kudos on the scholarship though.’

‘Thanks.’ it’s dripping with sarcasm, but Wynonna doesn’t notice.

‘No worries, champ. So are you competing this year? I mean, do you guys even compete in the championship?’

Nicole shakes her head and smiles, but it isn’t pleasant. ‘I mean how could I not? Now that the stakes are so high.’

Wynonna leans forward. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, the Dean needs two teams to make it to the championships, and I’m in it to win it. Can you imagine being the woman that brought co-ed competitions to Purgatory State College? That’s a title I’m gunning for.’

Wynonna clenches her fist under the table. If _anyone_ is going to be cemented as the name behind co-ed matches, it’ll be an Earp. ‘What a funny coincidence,’ all the warmth has drained from her voice, ‘I’m competing for the very same thing.’

‘No kidding?’ She extends a hand and grins. ‘Who knew a simpleton like me could be competing against a fancy football star? May the best woman win.’

Wynonna regards her hand and then turns away. ‘She will.’

/

Waverly taps her pen against the table and watches the doorway like a hawk. After a moment, Wynonna enters the dining hall and goes straight for the powdered doughnuts. By the time she sits down she’s got three of them, a large coffee, and an energy drink. Waverly raises an eyebrow at her.

‘What?’ Wynonna asks as she cracks open the large can. ‘I’ve got Business Ethics next, you try sitting through that without falling into a coma.’

‘I’m assuming that your being here means you’ve successfully completed another lecture _without_ assaulting Professor Stone?’ Waverly picks at her soggy salad and wishes she’d grabbed the lasagna instead.

‘I barely made it out of there. She had me dangling over a cliff and she was ready to cut the rope.’ She takes a bite of her doughnut and gets powdered sugar all over her face.

Waverly decides to abandon the salad. ‘What does that even mean?’

‘It _means_ Nedley’s got his beady little eyes on me.’ She waves her doughnut in the air and scatters powder everywhere, ‘And he woulda got away with it too, if it weren’t for that meddling Nadine.’ 

‘Calm down Scooby-Doo, who’s Nadine anyway?’

‘I don’t know, some egghead girl from my law class. Thought she was on the up and up until she bitched out for no reason. Everyone’s out to get me.’

‘That’s a little overdramatic, don’t you think?’

‘Overdramatic?’ She drops her half eaten doughnut and dusts off her hands. ‘Why don’t we talk about your mortal enemy? Also known as the random girl that answers a few questions in your class.’

Waverly can feel her cheeks burning. Academic competition doesn’t exist in Wynonna’s world. ‘My problem actually has some basis. You know the last two lessons she’s been trying to intimidate me by staring at me? Every time I look across at her she’s flicking her eyes away.’

Wynonna narrows her eyes and nods, ‘And how often does that occur?’

‘I don’t even know! Like twenty times per lesson.’

‘Ever think that maybe she’s staring at you cause you keep staring at her?’ She takes a long sip from her coffee and has that stupid expression she gets when she thinks she’s won an argument. ‘Maybe you’re the intimidating one.’

Waverly’s mouth hangs half open for a moment before she begins waving her hands about, ‘No, that’s just – well, that’s just ridiculous. I don’t know why I even brought this up with you.’ She pushes back her chair and dumps her food into a bin.

‘Come on, Wav!’ Wynonna calls out. ‘Don’t be like that.’

Waverly spins on her heel. ‘And don’t you dare think for one second that this means you’re right, cause it doesn’t missy!’ She storms towards the exit. On her way out she spots Nicole entering the hall and has to duck behind a group of students to avoid her. Too bad she can’t dodge her problems all day – she’s got Criminal Law next.

 

She’s the first person to arrive (a habit she’s ingrained after the debacle on her first day) and has to wait patiently by the door for six minutes until Doc shows up to let her in.

‘Early again, Miss Earp?’ He tips his hat and lets her into the room. Rather than take a seat, she decides to follow him to his desk. He takes a seat and kicks his boots up. ‘Now what is troubling you so that you would linger in my personal space?’

Waverly swallows. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to bother you – that is, I _don’t_ mean to bother you, but, uh – I mean –’

‘Miss Earp,’ he says as he slides his feet from the desk so he can lean forward in his chair, ‘seeing as this lesson only runs for ninety minutes, I encourage you to choose your words wisely so as to allot the other students at least a few minutes of my time.’

‘Right, uh, sorry.’ She takes a deep breath and reaches into her bag. Doc watches her from beneath the brim of his hat, and after a moment, she pulls a red apple from the bag and places it on his desk. 

Doc observes it for a moment. ‘What is this?’

Waverly’s heart is thundering in her chest. Oh god _why_ did she think this was a good idea? When will she stop trying to mimic things she sees on television in real life? ‘I uh, read about it. It’s a – a symbol of my affections. Well not _affections_ ,’ she laughs nervously and then cringes, ‘this isn’t at all going like I planned.’ She reaches for the apple but Doc’s hand covers it.

‘I do appreciate the sentiment, Miss Earp, but if you wish to gain my favour may I suggest a nice cigarillo or a glass of whiskey.’ He tips his hat. ‘I do thank you for the apple.’ He takes a bite out of it and Waverly does her best to not skip to her seat.

Over the next ten minutes or so everyone begins to pour in. When Nicole enters there’s still a free seat beside Waverly, and she finds herself begging to some unknown deity that she doesn’t sit there. And she doesn’t – she sits about eight seats to her right instead.

They haven’t exchanged a single word since that night at Shorty’s. Not after Waverly said she doesn’t drink coffee and scampered away for the rest of the evening. She refuses to allow herself to be intimidated, and she knows that Nicole is just trying to keep her friends close and her enemies closer. Maybe she ought to thank her for roughing up that booze hound (who hasn’t been back since the incident) but she doesn’t want to provide her with an opportunity to get in her head. She didn’t become valedictorian in high school without learning a thing or two about manipulative competition.

Nicole pulls an apple from her bag and Waverly glares at it. She must notice that Doc already has one because she bites into it. Thank god she’s one step ahead of her today.

‘You are all in for a fine treat today folks,’ Doc takes his hat off and drops it on his desk, ‘it is time to divide and conquer.’ He runs his eyes over the room, and Waverly makes sure to stare right into them. It’s important that he knows she’s ready for anything in this class. ‘For the completion of this paper’, there is a collective sigh at the word, ‘it is imperative – and I do mean _imperative_ , for you all to work together -- in pairs.’

A few students shoot excited looks at each other across the room. Waverly keeps her eyes dead ahead. She _hates_ group projects. Doc leans back in his chair and observes them as soft murmurs begin to spread across the room. ‘I garnish that you all are unobjectionable in regard to these terms?’ After he pauses it becomes apparent that he’s waiting, so a collective _’yes’_ rings out. He slams his fist on the table. ‘Then I should spare myself the misery of attempting to impart any knowledge upon you damn fools and fail you all right here and now!’

Waverly’s eyebrows shoot up. That was unexpected.

‘ _Never_ agree to _any_ terms or conditions before hearing them out fully. Did I not repeatedly express this concept on the very first day of class?’ He leans back to take another bite of Waverly’s apple and waves his hand through the air, ‘Take out your paper and mark this down; you shall never be fortuitous enough under my teachings to select your _own_ partners for group projects.’ The students who previously looked excited are crestfallen now. Waverly is entirely content – she has no friends in this class so a random pairing suits her just fine.

Doc splits the class down the middle, starting from the chair to Waverly’s right. She chances a glance in Nicole’s direction and finds her - _yet again_ \- flicking her eyes away. She breathes a sigh of relief that they’ve been separated.

‘Those to my left,’ Doc gestures to Nicole’s side, ‘please write your names down on a piece of paper and place them in my hat.’ The room is filled only by the sounds of pens scratching against paper. Waverly watches Nicole walk down the tiered seating and drop her name in. Her eyes shift from Nicole to Doc and she’s mortified to find that he’s watching her with a knowing smile. Her cheeks burn and she hangs her head, suddenly terribly interested in her textbook.

After everyone is back in their seats, Doc picks up his hat and shakes the paper inside. ‘Those to my right,’ he looks directly at Waverly, ‘please make your way to me and extract a name. The name you pull will be your partner for this project; there are neither do-overs nor negotiations. The name you pull is final so please do not waste my time with your belly rumblings, simply take a name and return to your seat.’

Waverly flicks her eyes at Nicole, but she’s talking to someone behind her. There’s a one in twenty-three chance she could pull her name out and she doesn’t like those odds. She slides out of her seat and descends the steps behind a line of other students. By the time she’s pulling a name out seven people have gone before her. A one in sixteen chance now – assuming Nicole hasn’t already been chosen. Doc surveys her as she reaches in. A crumpled piece brushes against her fingertips, but something inside her tells her to move past it, so she chooses the next one she feels. 

‘Good luck,’ Doc grins as she extracts it. ‘Once you have returned to your seats I will address you one at a time and you will inform me of your partner so I may make a note of it.’ 

A few stragglers take their seats and Doc leans back and points at a nervous looking brunette guy who carefully unfolds his piece of paper. ‘Uh,’ he glances around the room, ‘Amos King?’ The person Nicole was speaking to earlier jerks his head up to see who his partner will be. Neither boy looks pleased.

Doc continues pointing along the rows behind her.

_’Amy Andals.’_

_’Jeremiah Caine.’_

_’Nicole -’_

Waverly’s head perks up.

_‘ - Jacobs.’_

Damn it.

He’s gone through eleven people before he gets to her. Doc points at her and winks and she can’t help but feel like he knows something she doesn’t. She picks the piece of paper up from her desk, which she notices has been perfectly creased at the centre, and opens it. Her heart pulses against her throat. There, written in impeccably neat writing, is the name –

‘Nicole Haught.’ She hopes her voice doesn’t betray her nerves. Doc nods and makes a note along with the others, and Waverly turns her attention to the other side of the room. Nicole’s lips are slightly parted and her eyes are wide; Waverly looks into them and doesn’t feel the urge to turn away.

/

Today was such a load of shit. Wynonna kicks off her boots and collapses on to one of the dining chairs. As if Professor Stone’s personal attack and the archery captain wasn’t enough, her Business Ethics professor decided to plaster her with a three thousand word report due in _three weeks._ It’s got to be some kind of affront to her human rights. 

The back door creaks open and Gus comes in, shoulders damp from the light shower of rain outside. ‘Wynonna,’ she says as she dumps some firewood by the door, ‘what are you doing back so early?’

‘I’m not early. Hey, you got any beer?’

Gus frowns and crosses over to the fridge. ‘I thought we had an agreement.’ She cracks the drink open and passes it to Wynonna. ‘At least an hour of study every day after your classes.’

Wynonna pauses mid sip, ‘You were serious about that?’ Gus puts her hands on her hips and Wynonna laughs. ‘Relax, I’m just kidding. I’ll have you know the only reason I’m back early is because I’m going job hunting this afternoon.’ She has absolutely no intention of doing so, but considering Gus has a standing dinner date every Tuesday, there’s no way she’ll catch her out on the lie. Not that she looks particularly sold on it at the moment.

‘Why don’t you just hand in a resume at work, you know Shorty’d give it to you.’

Wynonna snorts. ‘No offence, but I’m not working at a bar where I’ll be forced to interact with drunken hillbillies.’

Gus leans against the table. ‘If memory serves, I do believe _you_ are frequently one of those hillbillies.’ 

‘No, I’m a redneck. It’s a step up.’ She skulls the rest of her beer and tosses it in the trash. ‘Just trust me on this one Gus, you don’t want me working alongside you.’

Gus raises an eyebrow and Wynonna heads for her bedroom. ‘Just don’t get into any trouble, that’s all I ask,’ she calls after her. She always manages to make Wynonna feel like she’s sixteen again.

 

Wynonna spends the next hour looking up knives on eBay and intermittently switching tabs to a website on resume writing any time she hears footsteps coming down the hall. Waverly usually texts her the moment she gets out of class, but it’s been fifteen minutes and she’s heard nothing. The rain sounds like it’s starting to grow heavier. _Shit_. She drove Waverly’s car home.

She picks up her cell phone from where she tossed it earlier and brings up Waverly’s contact info. There’s a little tug in her chest when she sees the contact photo: six year-old Waverly covered in dirt and grinning like an idiot. Sometimes she forgets she’s all grown up now.

The phone doesn’t even ring, just cuts straight to her cheery voicemail message. She must be on the phone organising another ride. Autumn evenings fall early here, and it’s nearly winter, so the sun is already starting to dip in the sky. She peers through her window and her face is lit up with weak grey light. Looks like they’re in for a storm tonight. Just for good measure, she calls Waverly’s phone again, but there’s no answer.

Wynonna throws herself down on to her bed and exhales. She doesn’t have class tomorrow, so why is she lying around like some pariah loser?

 _Oh right,_ she thinks, _cause that’s what I am._

Unless she’s on a football field nobody gives two shits about her. It’s fine, really. Who needs the hassle of trying to maintain friendships? Those kinds of things are fleeting anyway. Family is what’s important. She brings up Waverly’s photo again and wishes she were here right now.

On a whim, she begins scrolling through her contacts until she reaches _Dolls, Xavier._ He’s _sort of_ a friend, maybe more of an acquaintance, but it wouldn’t hurt to hang out for once. What’s the harm, right?

Unless it’s Wav or Gus, she _hates_ talking on the phone, so she shoots him a text instead.

 **Wynonna Earp:** Yo dummy, what’s up?

She clicks absentmindedly on the computer mouse until her phone goes off.

 **Xavier Dolls:** Earp. I’m reading. You okay?

Wynonna rolls her eyes. Classic Dolls, always has his nose in a book.

 **Wynonna Earp:** Fine and dandy, just bored out of my tits. Wanna meet up @ Shorty’s and down a few whiskies? Your treat.

She knows he hates them, but she tacks on a smiling emoji at the end of her message.

 **Xavier Dolls:** You know I don’t drink.

 **Wynonna Earp:** Ok well I’ll down the whiskies and you can have a glass of water or some shit.

 **Xavier Dolls:** I don’t know, it’s already late.

 **Wynonna Earp:** It’s 5.30 in the afternoon!!

She bites her lip before typing the next message.

 **Wynonna Earp:** Pls Dolls, I really need it tonight.

It takes eight long minutes for his next reply.

 **Xavier Dolls:** All right. I’ll pick you up in thirty. Wear a coat.

Wynonna fist pumps and dances over to her clothes rack. She tugs on a pair of jeans and a tank top. It doesn’t look that cold outside, and she’ll just steal his jacket anyway.

/

Nicole slides her book bag higher on her shoulder and shakes her head. What a rollercoaster of a day. First she sleeps in and turns up fifteen minutes late to Forensics, then she leaves her dining card in her dorm and has to run all the way back for it so she can grab something from the hall between classes, then Waverly Earp literally pulls a cheesy movie-style duck and cover to avoid her, _then_ they’re made partners and she bolts out of the class like her ass is on fire! To top it all off, she didn’t bring a coat and it’s raining.

She groans even though nobody’s around to hear it. If only she could get into that brunette head and figure out what the hell is going on with that girl.

Nicole freezes mid-step; Waverly is sitting on the stairs by the car park, barely undercover from the spray of light rain falling at an angle. She checks her watch and wonders why on earth she’s still here at five-thirty in the afternoon.

‘Waverly?’ As if the shudder isn’t enough to insult her, Waverly barks out a _'What are you doing here?' _to really hammer it in. Nicole bites the inside of her cheek to avoid being snarky back. She wasn’t raised that way. ‘Well, I’m walking, and you so happened to cross my path. That alright with you, sheriff?’__

__Seemingly, realisation dawns on Waverly’s face and washes the anger from it like water off a bank. ‘Sorry, that reaction wasn’t about you. I’ve been stranded here for half an hour.’_ _

__Nicole gingerly approaches and leans against a beam, ‘Define stranded.’_ _

__Waverly’s knees are up and she’s leaning on them. She turns her head at an angle to respond. ‘My sister drove my car home and it’s raining.’_ _

__‘So call her and get her to pick you up.’_ _

__She pulls a phone in a pink case from her pocket and waves it in the air, ‘Phone’s dead. And I don’t know her number by heart since she’s always cutting up her sim cards and getting new ones.’_ _

__Nicole’s not even going to ask. Waverly seems temporarily transfixed by the blank screen, like if she stares at it hard enough the battery will charge. She can’t help but feel a little pang in her chest. ‘Want a lift home?’_ _

__Waverly’s head whips around. ‘On what terms?’_ _

__Despite herself, Nicole snorts, but Waverly doesn’t look any less suspicious. ‘No terms, I’m just offering to give you a ride.’_ _

__She’s not sure if she’s considering it or not, but it doesn’t matter because a moment later she starts frantically shaking her head. ‘I don’t think so, _missy_ , but nice try.’_ _

__She literally doesn’t know what to do, so her mouth just hangs open until she manages to speak, ‘Are you serious?’_ _

__‘Serious as death! The jig is up!’ Waverly leaps to her feet and Nicole is trying very hard to not find her use of the word _jig_ cute. ‘Don’t think I haven’t noticed what you’ve been up to.’ Her finger is waggling in the air. ‘Despite what you may think of me, I am not stupid. I have eyes… and a brain! A very good brain, so _good luck!_ ’ She turns and folds her arms like she’s won an argument, but Nicole doesn’t even understand the context._ _

__After spending a strained moment trying to figure out what the hell is going on, Nicole just shakes her head. ‘I’m lost.’_ _

__Waverly spins back around and Nicole thinks she’s never met anyone this dramatic before. ‘Don’t think I haven’t noticed you staring at me in class – or the way you _smile_ at me every time you answer a question! And that whole mess at the bar – you are transparent as a ghost.’_ _

__Nicole inhales sharply through her nose and tries to not look too panicked. The only thing more embarrassing than someone not reciprocating your flirtations is having them try to _discuss them with you._ She should have just stayed in bed today._ _

__Waverly’s finger is back up in the air again, ‘You can just get the idea out of your head right this minute.’ Why does the earth never open up and swallow you when you need it to? ‘Now I’m usually quite amicable when it comes to academic competition, but I don’t like the way you’ve been making me feel!’_ _

__Nicole shakes her head, ‘What the hell are you going on about?’_ _

__‘Come on Nicole, I _know_ you’ve been trying to intimidate me because you want to be head of the class.’_ _

__‘Waverly!’ She rubs her eyes. ‘I wasn’t trying to intimidate you, I was trying to –‘ she looks down at Waverly and sees the look of pure confusion on her face; she can feel the heat from the blush threatening to spread across her own cheeks, ‘trying to be friendly.’ Not terribly convincing, but Waverly seems too bewildered to pick up on it._ _

__‘How is staring at me every lesson and trying to make me uncomfortable at work being friendly?’ Well she’s got her there._ _

__‘I wasn’t trying to make you uncomfortable, I’m sorry. I was trying to make you feel included. I’ve noticed you haven’t really been spending time with anybody on campus other than your sister. This has been a total miscommunication, I just wanted you to feel like you could approach me.’_ _

__‘Well, it hasn’t been working.’ She folds her arms over her chest. ‘You make me feel nervous.’_ _

__Nicole raises her eyebrow and smiles. ‘I make you nervous?’_ _

__Waverly’s blush spreads all the way to her chest before she pulls her cardigan tighter to cover it. ‘Well, obviously! I thought a classmate was already out to get me on my _first day._ ’_ _

__She can’t stop her grin from stretching further across her cheeks. Despite how frustrating this whole thing has been, she can’t deny she finds it totally charming. ‘I think you were looking for it. Seeing things where there was nothing to see?’_ _

__Waverly considers this for about four seconds before her face lights up. ‘Then explain the apple.’_ _

__Nicole takes a moment to absorb the sentence to make sure that she actually heard it right. ‘What apple?’_ _

__‘The apple you were planning on giving to Mr Holliday! No doubt you saw me giving him one myself and wanted to even the playing field.’_ _

__Nicole’s head is spinning. She glances at Waverly’s backpack and wonders if she’s got a tinfoil hat in there. ‘Has anyone ever told you you’re paranoid?’_ _

__‘Not to my face, but I suspect as much. That’s what people say to get you to lower your guard.’_ _

__‘I left my dining card in my dorm and had to rush back to get it. I got back late and had to eat it in class.’ She can see Waverly checking her story for plot holes and decides to break her out of the trance by placing her hands on her shoulders. ‘I just wanted to get to know you Waverly, that’s all. I didn’t know how to approach you because you were so guarded all the time.’ She bites her lip. ‘Hence the staring and the awkward interaction at your work.’_ _

__‘Oh.’ Waverly’s soft face flushes with pink. ‘Well, why didn’t you ever tell me that?’_ _

__‘Was I supposed to shout it across the dining hall while you were using a group of students as human shields?’ She should pity her right now, but she’s getting way too much satisfaction from how red Waverly’s face is becoming._ _

__‘Well… okay then.’ She’s obviously trying to recover from this but is struggling with how to do it. Nicole decides to make it a little easier for her._ _

__‘Do you want that lift or what?’ There’s fat raindrops splashing on the pavement now and they’re flecking the bottom of her jeans with water droplets._ _

__Waverly tosses her tiny backpack on and looks sheepish. ‘I’d really appreciate it, yeah.’ They share a brief look and Nicole hopes that she can read the forgiveness she’s trying to express. It seems she does, because she perks up immediately. ‘Which one’s yours?’_ _

__There’s about a dozen cars left in the car park at this point. ‘I’m parked on-campus over at the dorms. We’ll have to walk.’ Waverly looks down at herself – she’s wearing high waisted jeans, and beneath the loose cardigan there’s a lacy crop that makes Nicole want to die. ‘I guess we’ll be running, just follow me.’_ _

__/_ _

__It’s much, _much_ colder than she’d expected._ _

__Dolls, in an easily anticipated move, sets a glass bottle of sarsaparilla down on the table._ _

__‘Don’t worry about the bottle opener, I’ve got two of ‘em on my chest.’_ _

__His face remains blank, ‘Sorry?’_ _

__Wynonna waves her hand over her chest. ‘Like two tiny bottle openers.’ His face remains blank. ‘Jesus, is this really something I have to spell out for you?’_ _

__‘Is this really a joke about how your body has reacted to the cold?’_ _

__Wynonna pouts, ‘Has anyone ever told you you’re no fun?’_ _

__‘You have,’ he tilts his head, ‘and others.’_ _

__She grins and throws back a shot of whiskey. It burns down her throat and bubbles in her chest. ‘You sure you don’t want something a little harder than sarsaparilla?’ She makes eye contact with the barmaid and sticks two fingers up._ _

__Dolls shakes his head, ‘How do you expect to get home if I can’t drive you there?’_ _

__The bar maid, who’s name might be Clarice if Wynonna is remembering correctly, puts down two glasses of whiskey on the table._ _

__‘Cheers Clarice.’ The girl rolls her eyes and walks off. Dolls is frowning at her. ‘What?’_ _

__‘You’ve damn near known that girl half your life and you can’t remember that her name is Denise?’_ _

__‘Clarice, Denise, it’s practically the same thing.’ She slides one of the shots over to Dolls but he doesn’t pick it up. ‘Come _on_ , we’ll walk home.’_ _

__‘It’s pouring outside and you didn’t bring a jacket.’_ _

__‘Good thing you did,’ she grins. He licks his lips and leans back in his chair. Wynonna mimics the movement. ‘Alright, no shit talking for a moment – cross my heart.’ She looks him up and down. ‘When’s the last time you had some fun?’ He opens his mouth to speak but she cuts him off. ‘I don’t mean riding around in your car shootin’ at beer cans fun, I mean _fun_. The kind of fun that gets you into trouble.’_ _

__She watches his tongue lick over his teeth. ‘The last time I had _that_ kind of fun, I lost my job.’_ _

__‘Yeah as a pencil pusher, it was good for you! Gave you the shove you needed to pursue a career you actually give a shit about.’_ _

__Dolls laughs. It’s a nice low rumble in his chest – Wynonna has always found his laugh comforting. ‘You’re pushing your luck here, Earp.’_ _

__The edge of Wynonna’s mouth curves up to make a crooked grin. She raises her glass into the air. ‘To pushing our luck.’_ _

__Dolls eyes it for a moment, but she already knows she’s won. He picks up the other shot and clinks it against her glass._ _

__By the next hour, they’re both six shots deep. Dolls’ jacket is draped over Wynonna’s shoulders and his shirt is stained from the bourbon he spilt on it earlier._ _

__‘Girl,’ he says after Denise pops two tequila shots in front of them, ‘you aren’t supposed to mix spirits.’_ _

__Wynonna licks her hand and pours some salt on to it. ‘Don’t give me any of that pussy logic.’ She grabs his hand and pours some salt into his palm. ‘You only live once, right? That’s what the kids are saying.’_ _

__Dolls laughs. ‘We aren’t kids any more, Wynonna.’_ _

__‘Damn straight, no kid could drink like this.’ She licks the salt off of her hand and picks the shot glass up from the table with her teeth. Dolls watches her throw it back, take the glass out of her mouth, and bite down on her lime. ‘Ya see? I feel fine.’_ _

__He shakes his head, but he’s grinning. After taking his own shot, he talks through the lime wedge in his mouth. ‘Don’t you have school tomorrow?’_ _

__‘Don’t you?’ She kicks the stool out from under herself and walks over to the bar on shaky legs. Denise is frowning at her._ _

__‘Wynonna,’ she says, ‘I think you mighta had enough.’_ _

__Wynonna raises an eyebrow at her. ‘Hand me that wet cloth,’ she says, gesturing to a collection of them behind the counter._ _

__Denise looks confused but gives it to her anyway. Wynonna bunches it up into a ball before turning around to face the bar. Everyone here is a regular, they don’t really get strangers here unless it’s during a big game at the university. She spots Dale lingering by the pool table and decides that she never really liked him that much anyway._ _

__Wynonna closes one eye and pulls the cloth back behind her head. She waits for him to take a sip of his beer before throwing it. It collides with his drink and causes the liquid to spill out of it and all over his shirt._ _

__‘God dammit!’ He throws the glass down and it breaks into sharp chunks._ _

__‘Hey come on now!’ Denise starts, but nobody is listening._ _

__Dale turns around to face her. ‘Earp, you damn yuppie.’_ _

__Wynonna is already facing the bar. ‘Better proof than walking in a straight line. Two more shots please.’_ _

__There’s a scuffle behind her and Wynonna turns around to see that Dolls has gripped Dale by the wrist. Her eyes travel up to see the glass in his hand. She snorts, ‘Were you going to hit _me_ with that?’_ _

__Dale struggles but Dolls pulls his arm down hard enough to make him let go of the glass. He tries to headbutt Dolls but misses. Wynonna turns back to see Denise picking up the phone, presumably to dial the sheriff’s office, and leans across the bar to slam the receiver down. ‘Hey now, that’s really not necessary.’ She turns back to face the scuffling men. ‘Dolls let him go, he’s just drunk, he’s not gonna do anything.’_ _

__Dolls pulls his arms away in a swift motion that causes Dale to buckle over, and then sidles up beside her at the bar. ‘Two tequila shots please, Denise.’ He flashes her a toothy grin and Wynonna’s pretty sure she can see her _blushing_. Ugh. She oughta contain herself, that’s just down right embarrassing._ _

__Denise slides the shots over to them and they raise their glasses. ‘To staying out of trouble,’ Dolls says with a smile. Wynonna can’t help but smile too, and clinks her glass against his, but before she can take a sip Dale is swinging a pool cue at her. She ducks, and the cue narrowly misses her drink._ _

__‘I paid for that!’ Wynonna spins around and kicks Dale square between his legs. He goes down onto his knees immediately and Wynonna brings her fist down hard against the back of his neck. He drops to the ground and he’s out cold. When she turns back Dolls looks like he’s just opened a Christmas present and Denise is already dialling. She picks up her glass and raises it, ‘To staying out of trouble.’_ _

__They down the drinks and walk out of the bar as Denise begins speaking into the receiver._ _

__/_ _

__They opted to go into Nicole’s room instead of her car because Waverly is soaked to her bones and shivering. Now she’s sitting on Nicole’s bed and waiting for her to return with a cup of tea. It’s immediately apparent that she has nothing in common with her roommate, whose blanket is crumpled at the end of her unmade bed. You can almost _see_ the line in the middle of the room where things begin to be unkempt. Even the carpet on Nicole’s side looks cleaner. _ _

__This is a nice dorm, as far as dorms go. It’s fairly minimalist, but nicely decorated, and there’s some cute and colourful ornaments sprinkled on Nicole’s side. Waverly slides off the bed and begins to examine them. She wonders if Nicole’s favourite colour might be blue, as there are speckles of it everywhere she looks. She thinks of her own bedroom and wonders why Nicole doesn’t have any framed photos around. Sometimes she forgets how different some people’s relationships with their families can be. She thinks of her own sordid family legacies and really feels that she’s not in a position to judge._ _

__Waverly slides off of the bed, her bare feet making contact with the plush carpet, and crosses to the wardrobe. Nicole said she should borrow something out of it considering her own clothes are soaked, but she’s gotta be at least a foot taller than her. Well, maybe not a foot, but the first jumper Waverly pulls out goes down to her knees. It’s got a dog on the front of it, which she likes. She peels the cardigan off of herself and tries to follow with the crop top, but it gets tangled in her hair._ _

__‘Ah, Jesus,’ she says as she tries to tug it over her head. She’s attempting to pull it back down when she hears the door open. She immediately spins around, trying to see anything through the fabric. ‘Who’s there? I know karate and I am _not_ afraid to use it!’ She realises it’s Nicole when the laughter rings out. It’s soft and light and it makes Waverly’s chest tickle. ‘Alright, very funny.’_ _

__‘Do you need a hand?’ She hears the sound of two mugs being placed on the desk. ‘How did you even…?’_ _

__‘I’m wet! It got stuck.’ She makes one last futile attempt to struggle against the fabric before groaning and letting herself go slack. ‘Could you please help me?’_ _

__Waverly stands bolt upright when Nicole’s warm hands touch her bare arms and she’s suddenly very aware that she’s standing in her bra. The hands disappear._ _

__‘Sorry, did I hurt you?’_ _

__‘No, no! Your hands are just cold – er – warm. Too warm! I’m… I’m cold and your hands were hot.’ Waverly clenches her teeth to fight back against the feeling running over her chest that she knows is a bright pink blush._ _

__Nicole doesn’t say anything, but instead places her hands (even more softly than before – if that’s possible) onto Waverly’s arms. ‘Is this okay?’_ _

__Waverly swallows. ‘Yeah, it’s fine.’_ _

__Her hands slide up her arms and under the fabric. It takes a moment, but she manages to get it over Waverly’s head. ‘Thanks.’_ _

__Nicole smiles, and it seems really sincere. She’s got dimples. That’s nice. ‘You’re welcome.’_ _

__Waverly looks up at her, unsure of what to do, and her chest swells with the sudden intake of breath. Nicole tilts her head and smiles, ‘You cold?’_ _

__Waverly blinks. ‘Yeah.’_ _

__Nicole turns and begins rifling through her wardrobe. ‘I’m sure there’s something in here that’ll fit. You’re a bit of a small fry.’_ _

__The coat hangers slide across, revealing an array of jumpers and jackets that are all definitely too big for her. Eventually, Nicole admits defeat. ‘Look, just take this one, it’s my roommate’s and she’s about your height.’ She slips the jumper she’s wearing up and over her head. She’s wearing a tank top underneath. She’s got nice shoulders, and her clavicle is very symmetrical. Waverly’s eyes follow down and then snap back up again._ _

__Waverly laughs, and it’s awkward – glaringly so. ‘I feel as though we’ve suddenly become very close! What with me standing in your bedroom with my shirt off and all.’ Nicole raises an eyebrow. Waverly is suddenly feeling very exposed. She desperately wants to look casual. ‘I mean if someone came in here, it would probably look like we just hooked up or something.’ Oh god, what a stupid thing to say, but she can’t stop herself. Once she gets nervous she always rambles._ _

__Nicole smiles. It’s very gentle and Waverly’s heart begins playing the bongo inside her chest. ‘Is that what you think this looks like?’_ _

__She opens and closes her mouth a few times. This is new territory for her – and yet it feels somewhat familiar. She gathers herself, ‘Well I am standing by your bed in my bra. I think Wynonna calls this the first date.’ Nicole laughs, and Waverly exhales._ _

__‘Are we on a date?’ Nicole passes the jumper over to her, and Waverly slips it on. ‘If we are it’s not a very good one.’ She picks up the mug of tea and has a sip. Warmth trickles down her chest and she feels much more relaxed. ‘Are you sure your house mate won’t miss this?’_ _

__Nicole sits on her desk chair and shrugs. ‘I borrowed it from her like a month ago, I think it’s pretty much mine now.’_ _

__Waverly smiles, ‘Well it does smell like you.’_ _

__Nicole purses her lips and seems to shake her head to herself before looking back up. ‘Do you do that on purpose?’_ _

__Waverly frowns, ‘Do what?’_ _

__The mug scrapes along the desk as Nicole picks it up to bring it to her lips. ‘Nothing,’ she says._ _

__The rain is thundering against the window above Nicole’s bed. ‘Do you think this’ll lighten up?’ Waverly asks._ _

__Nicole shrugs. ‘Probably not, to be honest. But I don’t mind making a dash for the car and dropping you home.’_ _

__The window is casting weak light around the room and it’s giving everything soft edges – including Nicole. Waverly let’s her eyes wander around the room. ‘I don’t know,’ she says, ‘it’s really warm in here… and I’ve got my tea.’_ _

__Nicole shakes her head. ‘You can hang here until it dies down.’_ _

__Waverly sits on the bed and the bed sinks in around her. It’s very comfortable, and she finds herself wondering if Nicole bought her own mattress to put in her dorm room. She takes another sip from her mug because she can’t think of anything to say. The sun is disappearing fast._ _

__‘Would you like to watch something? I’ve got Netflix on my laptop.’_ _

__Waverly crinkles her nose. ‘Got any DVDs? Something about Netflix just rubs me the wrong way.’_ _

__Nicole laughs. ‘You know, I actually prefer DVDs too. It’s my roommate’s account and I just mooch off of it.’ She moves to pull out a drawer in her desk and Waverly shuffles back to lean against the wall._ _

__‘Ooh, do you have any Westerns?’_ _

__Nicole snorts, ‘Could you tone down the small-town vibe for a moment?’_ _

__Waverly pouts. ‘I like Westerns.’_ _

__Nicole pulls out a handful of DVDs and fans them out. They’re all Westerns. ‘Me too,’ she grins._ _

__Waverly shakes her head and smiles, and wishes she’d thought to befriend Nicole sooner._ _

__

__It’s midnight when their second movie ends. Between pausing to make more hot drinks and talk, the night has well and truly gotten away from them. Waverly yawns._ _

__‘You ready to go home?’ Nicole asks. She got changed into her pajamas a while back. Waverly usually sleeps in the same clothes she wore that day, but Nicole actually has specific clothes for sleeping in. She’s wearing a cotton pair of blue boy shorts and a loose fitted singlet. Every time she’s turned on her side Waverly has had to avert her eyes._ _

__‘Just one more movie?’ She’s not sure why she wants to stay so badly, but she does, so she goes with her gut. ‘I don’t wanna go home just yet.’_ _

__Nicole’s eyes are a little sleepy but she smiles anyway. Waverly watches the way her lips slide back and cause her dimples to appear. It makes her feel nice when Nicole smiles. ‘Alright, just one.’ She picks up a new case. ‘Paint Your Wagon?’_ _

__Only one of her favourite films ever. ‘If you insist.’_ _

__Nicole ejects the previous disc and climbs out of the bed to put it back in the case. When she gets back under the covers she’s freezing._ _

__‘Jeez, cold much? Your feet are like ice.’_ _

__Nicole pulls her legs away, ‘Sorry!’_ _

__Waverly shakes her head. ‘I was just teasing.’ She lifts her legs up and drapes them over Nicole’s. ‘I will generously donate my warmth to you.’_ _

__Nicole is staring at the screen. Waverly watches her throat as she swallows and then finds herself doing the same thing. After she clicks play, Nicole settles back under the covers and Waverly pulls her legs away._ _

__‘You done donating?’ Nicole asks with a grin. Her speech is starting to slow down. She’s getting tired. ‘Cause I was just starting to warm up to you.’_ _

__Waverly rolls her eyes and shuffles back underneath the covers. ‘Ha ha, very funny.’_ _

__Nicole slips down a little more and Waverly can tell she’s going to fall asleep. She’s feeling very comfortable and warm, so she doesn’t mind at all. The movie’s been playing for twenty minutes when Nicole’s breathing slows down to a gentle rhythm. Waverly glances down at her. Her bright orange hair is draped across the pillow. The movie chatters away in the distance. Waverly reaches over and runs her fingers through her hair, and Nicole hums in the back of her throat. Is it strange, that she’s never felt this comfortable with another person that wasn’t her sister?_ _

__There’s something inherently soothing about Nicole, and Waverly can’t stop thinking about what an idiot she’s been. She didn’t even give Nicole a chance, and she’s so lovely and sweet. Waverly’s lucky she even invited her in after the way she’s been treating her. Nicole shifts and Waverly snatches her fingers away. After a moment, her breathing settles back down._ _

__Waverly’s eyes are feeling heavy too. She slides down until she and Nicole are level. The light from the laptop is dancing over all of Nicole’s soft edges._ _

__She feels safe, and warm, and comfortable. And she’s not really sure what any of this means, but it doesn’t bother her. In fact, it feels kind of exciting. Slowly, her eyes flutter shut and she drifts off to sleep with her hand on Nicole’s back._ _

__/_ _

__The rain is pattering against the window now – a soft drum that gently shakes Nicole from her sleep. She rolls over to look at her clock: 3:06am. Her laptop is lying lopsided on her legs. A DVD menu screen is repeating on it. She leans down to shut the lid and slides her computer to the floor. She doesn’t even remember falling asleep._ _

__It’s freezing outside of the blanket and she settles back under the covers, tugging the doona up under her chin. Waverly stirs beside her and she freezes. For a moment, she forgot that she spent the night here._ _

__She was intending to offer Waverly her own bed and then sleep in her roommate’s, but they must have both drifted off during the movie. Is Waverly going to find this weird? It’s not like she thinks she’s homophobic or anything, but Waverly seems like the kind of well-meaning polite straight girl that makes you fall for her and doesn’t even realise she’s doing it. She’d better hop into the other bed – she definitely doesn’t want Waverly to think anything strange is going on._ _

__The window rattles slightly as the wind picks up, and Waverly inhales deeply. The blanket rustles as she shifts her body around, and then goes quiet. Waverly’s hand slides along the bed and over Nicole’s stomach._ _

__Nicole freezes – completely unsure of what to do. She feels guilty at the hot flash that jolts through her body. It feels wrong. Waverly is just shifting in her sleep and has no idea that Nicole is attracted to her. She feels like she’s betraying her trust. Nicole gently lifts Waverly’s arm off of her and places it between them. Carefully, she slides out from under the covers and stands up. It’s _freezing_ , so she quickly jumps into the other bed, but it’s really not any better._ _

__Nicole bundles the blankets up around her and sighs. Waverly looks comfortable. She rolls over to face the wall, and despite herself, wishes things were different._ _


End file.
